The Byron Shire Mayor says he is worried about the precedent that could be set by a major corporate event on Clarks Beach at Byron Bay tonight.

The event was approved by council staff under delegated authority.

An alcohol ban has been temporarily lifted and a large marquee erected on the sand for the private function.

Simon Richardson says it’s not the sort of thing he’d like to see happening on a regular basis.

“It was a bit of a shock to me too to be honest,” he said.

“It’s quite a large structure and so we need to make sure we start to actually really look at it and start to make sure we have a clear policy direction as to how often something like that might happen, who would be eligible, what sort of size and where the appropriate place to hold it might be.”